Japanese and American researchers have been studying this rare phenomenon for two years which occurred on Christmas Day 2022 in the Arctic. Now the mystery is solved, according to the research the cause of this green mysterious aurora or 'Polar-Rain' aurora.
The solar wind's electron inflow is the cause of this phenomenon. A "rainstorm" of electrons is produced when charged particle streams from the Sun are stuck in the magnetotail, an area where they are exposed to Earth's magnetic field.
The magnetotail, a long, tail-like region of Earth's magnetic field, can experience significant disturbances during extreme space weather events, such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
When a CME reaches Earth, it can compress the planet's magnetosphere on the dayside and extend the magnetotail on the night side. The intense solar wind pressure during such events can cause the magnetotail to become pinched off, or disconnected.
This disconnection can trigger geomagnetic storms, leading to various space weather phenomena such as auroras, disruptions in satellite operations, and even impacts on power grids on Earth.
But this was the first time that Earth witnessed such a rare phenomenon happening on 25–26 December 2022, this aurora was unique due to this being extensive and had a faint glow stretching 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometres). This one also lacked structure and brightness variations.
The answer for this unique aurora is in the Sun itself. Solar winds, which consist of charged particles streaming from the Sun, typically interact with Earth's magnetosphere. However, during the observed period, solar winds nearly ceased, creating a calm region around Earth.
Unexpectedly, a "rainstorm" of electrons from the Sun bombarded Earth's upper atmosphere. These high-energy particles collide with molecules in the ionosphere, causing them to emit light. This led to the creation of the polar rain aurora, a faint and unique glow that differed from typical auroras.
A full detailed explanation of this occurrence can be found in the 21st June edition of the journal Science Advances.
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